of dust and empty homes
by earlgreymilktea
Summary: "There was no safe place. You just had to keep moving. Even if you couldn't even make yourself hope that this whole nightmare would ever be over." (post-war-ish au. main daisuga.)
1. Chapter 1

**aaaand i started something new without any idea where i'm going with it, yay! (what is plot.) it's mainly daisuga, but if you'd like to request any other pairings, don't be shy to hit up my tumblr on my profile.**

**i started this in present tense and was gonna write about zombies but then decided nah, so please feel free to point out anything weird.**

**disclaimer: haikyuu! will never belong to a humble daydreamer like me.**

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><p>It was still dark when Daichi woke suddenly from the noise. Before his brain had even processed the sound, he's already up and moving, a dagger in his hand and his eyes darting around this surroundings.<p>

The trees were silent; there was no wind that night. He didn't spot any strange movement that could possibly be the source of what woke him up, but he refused to let his guard drop. That kind of thing could get you killed in this world.

He'd learned that the hard way.

Backing up slightly, he nudged his foot against his sleeping companion. "Asahi, wake up," he hissed. His eyes flicked around as he quickly slung his bag over his shoulder with one practiced move. There wasn't any sign of anything that could have been the source of what woke him up, but hell if he was going to lie back down now.

His friend scrambled up next to him, grabbing his things despite eyes being half-lidded by sleep still. When they'd gotten all their stuff, Daichi nodded in a direction behind them, and Asahi followed wordlessly.

He didn't know how far they ran, or even where they were going. All he knew was that they were alive, and he'd like to keep it that way.

For what, he'd lost sight of a long time ago.

**[-]**

Things weren't always this way. Hard on survival, that is.

It was a couple years ago, when the last world war ripped through what he used to call home. Only this time, it didn't end with one over the other; it ended in bloodshed and no form of government. The human population decreased through bombs and nuclear weapons, until the ones that hid and ran decided to fight back against the ones that ordered the soldiers to shoot the guns.

So, was it over, the war? No. Cities ruined, people scattered, land poisoned, and still there were dangerous people holding dangerous weapons that could make you disappear for good if you happened to stumble into the wrong place. Most people didn't even understand what the hell they were fighting for; they just wanted to survive. Which was kind of hard to do when food was scarce and you were lucky if you managed to find working electricity and running water. Never mind the fact that crazed ex-soldiers or brainwashed followers of the ones that started it all could murder you in your sleep if you weren't careful.

There was no safe place. You just had to keep moving. Even if you couldn't even make yourself hope that this whole nightmare would ever be over.

**[-]**

"Daichi," rasped Asahi, wiping sweat from his brow. "I think, I mean, can't we... We've been moving for hours."

Daichi sighed, but he couldn't deny that his legs were getting tired too. "Just a bit further," he decided.

Asahi just panted as he followed behind the shorter boy obediently. He carried the heavier bags, but he never complained. Daichi was grateful that his bigger friend had agreed to leave their hometown to run with him. Not that they knew exactly where they were running to, just that there was nothing left to stay for back there. Their town wasn't the first to be trapped in between fire, but it wasn't the last to be bombed, either. All their friends and family were either dead or missing, meaning they probably wouldn't ever see them again. So they took all they could find and locked the memories of another happier life somewhere in the back of their minds, and now here they were.

A while later, they stumbled across some small houses where the trees had started thinning out. Daichi guessed they were at the edge of some small village, only it looked like no one had been here in a long time. The houses looked intact, though a couple of them had broken windows and wrecked doors, signs that meant looters had already been through already.

"Why don't we take a break," suggested Daichi, gesturing to one of the houses that still had whole windows. "You can guard our stuff while I go check if there's anything we can use."

Asahi nodded, scratching his beard tiredly. He watched patiently as Daichi broke them in through the front door, and then set the bags down in the corner behind the couch, where he would have a clear view of both the window and the doorway, in case anyone decided to hit this house while they were both still in it.

Daichi made sure Asahi was holding his dagger and was on the alert before he crept through out the rest of the house. The kitchen was nearly empty save for a couple of canned foods that he stuffed into his bag. He went up the stairs, making as little noise as possible just in case. There was dust everywhere, the smell of aged cloth and disuse. He wrinkled his nose to keep from sneezing. It'd been days since he'd been inside an actual house, and he hoped he hadn't developed an allergy to dust or something.

Entering the first room on the second floor, he quickly went through drawers and the closet, only managing to salvage a blanket that wasn't yet eaten by moths. He found a first aid kit in the bathroom, and breathed a thanks to whatever was up there. They had been running low on supplies since last week, when Asahi accidentally set off a trap and gotten his arm wounded, the big goofball. Daichi was just glad that they'd managed to fix it up before it got too bad. He tried the last room, readjusting his bag at the same time. Unfortunately, that slight lowering of his guard was all it took, because the next second Daichi found himself on the floor staring up at an unfamiliar, but surprisingly attractive, face.

"Who are you?" the boy hissed, his arms, though skinny, managing to pin Daichi to the floor just fine. "Where are you from? Who else is with you?"

Daichi struggled, half-impressed to find that he couldn't get out of the smaller boy's hold, and half-afraid that he would die right then at the hand of this boy that looked like he wouldn't last a day in the wilderness. "Who are you?" he managed. He hoped that Asahi would follow his instructions when he didn't return in fifteen minutes.

"I asked you first," the other boy said, large amber eyes narrowing.

"Look, I mean you no harm," said Daichi, ceasing his struggling in an attempt to show cooperation. "I'm only trying to find supplies. I wasn't aware that someone had already claimed this place. If you'll just let me go, I'll leave and you'll never see me again."

The other boy didn't make a move to get off him. His curly silver hair fell into his eyes as he scrutinized Daichi. "How do I know you won't report us to the suits?"

"Us?"

The boy cursed under his breath, amber eyes sliding to the side for a moment. Dazedly, Daichi's eyes followed the movement to the beauty mark just beside the boy's left eye. Daichi was kind of surprised to hear the harsh word come out of the smaller boy, who, despite the scrawniness and fierce defensive scowl, gave off an air of gentleness and general _niceness_. If he didn't know better, Daichi would have sworn the dude was a prince.

Before Daichi could question his own sanity at his random thoughts, a new, quietly firm voice spoke up from the doorway.

"Sugawara-kun, release him. Ukai-san has his friend downstairs, let's talk it out, okay?"

The silver-haired boy, who was apparently named Sugawara, glanced over his shoulder and hesitated. Then he sighed, and climbed off Daichi, who breathed out a silent sigh of relief. He stiffened when Sugawara turned back to him with a severe look in those bright amber eyes of his.

Daichi held up his hands, telling him that he came in peace. He allowed the boy and the short bespectacled man to herd him back down the stairs to where Asahi was sitting with his hands empty in front of a man with blond hair.

"Daichi!" Asahi was pale but he looked less like he was going to pass out from anxiety when he caught sight of his friend.

"Are you alright?" Daichi asked, scanning his friend for any harm. He's not surprised that, despite the fact Asahi was taller and stockier than the man, he's just sitting there obediently. The big guy could take care of himself, but oftentimes the giant's glass heart got in the way of things. Because of that, Daichi was still over-protective of his friend, but he knew Asahi would always have his back when he needed it. Besides, it was in his nature to worry over other people anyway.

"I'm okay."

"Good." He glanced back at the three strangers, who had moved so they subtly closed off all escape routes. They didn't look like they were connected to the suits or any of the violent rebellious groups, but Daichi had to admit they were pretty good at this game.

"So you're Daichi, huh?" the blond man standing in front of Daichi said, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed. "I assume you're not with any associations?"

"No," answered Daichi. "We're just trying to survive. The war's got nothing to do with us."

"Don't you wish," snorted the man. "Where are you from?"

Daichi hesitated. He told them, and they frowned.

"Wasn't it bombed two years ago?"

"Yes."

"And you two've been on the run since?"

"Yes."

"No other friends or family?"

"... Yes."

There was a pause as Daichi stared right back at the blond man, whose expression had loosened some. "How old are you two?"

"Nearly eighteen."

They looked surprised, glancing at Asahi with his beard and filled-out body. Asahi glanced away from their gaze, blushing slightly. He'd been silent throughout the conversation, slowly recovering from his slight panic attack before Daichi showed up.

Daichi decided to turn the tables. "Who are you guys, then? Where are you from? What are you planning on doing with us?"

The blond man shared a look with the shorter man with the glasses, while the silver-haired boy continued to stare at Daichi with an unreadable look. He wasn't sure if the boy was angry at him or not, but he didn't really want to find out. The boy's pretty amber eyes could be really scary when he wanted it to be.

"Name's Ukai," the blond man said. "I was from the farms up north before." He pointed to the other man, who waved slightly. "That's Takeda, who used to work for the techies before those army men took over. He's on the list of wanted, though far down the list, but I expect you to keep quiet about it." When both Daichi and Asahi nodded, Ukai gestured at the boy leaning against the doorway. "And that's Sugawara. He's the same age as you guys."

Suga pushed off the doorway, stepping closer now that they'd decided they weren't going to kill them or whatever. "Just Suga, really." He smiled, and Daichi nearly choked on his own spit because, _wow_, did that guy have a nice smile. "Sorry for sitting on you before," the boy with the mole said.

Daichi waved it off. "We're all doing what we have to, yeah?"

Suga's smile didn't disappear, but Daichi felt as if a sort of heaviness had fallen over the silver-haired boy's face. It's strange, because Daichi was sure he'd never met the kid before today, but he couldn't help feeling like Suga's face was sort of... familiar. Maybe it was too many days with only Asahi's company, or maybe it was how perfectly sunny the silver-haired boy's face was, or maybe Daichi's nearly suppressed hormonal needs were acting up again. He decided there were more important things to think about.

"We've been resting here since yesterday, though," Ukai said. He considered the two boys before him. "Where were you boys headed?"

Daichi glanced at Asahi, who shrugged helplessly back. He turned back to Ukai. "We were hoping to find a shelter, or one of the secured cities. We heard the suits were moving in from the east, and the fighting's gotten worse up north."

"That's right, unfortunately." Ukai rubbed his head, sighing. "There's nothing up north. Your best bets, I'd say, would be going further down south, or west. There's another party cooking up who-knows-what down south, and I'm sure you don't want to be caught in that mess. Right, Takeda?"

"Yes." The smaller man, pushed his glasses up, giving Daichi a sad smile. "We're also headed west, actually." He glanced at the blond man, and they seemed to come to a conclusion. "Would you like to come with us?"

Daichi glanced at Asahi again, but his friend's expression only told him that the decision was his. He turned back to the three strangers he'd literally just met. He wasn't sure he could trust any of them just yet, and he was sure they didn't trust him and Asahi completely either. But if more people, and adults, could mean more protection... it also meant a higher chance of survival.

"If that's alright with you," he said.

Ukai nodded, and Takeda smiled. "We'll stay here for tonight then, and head west tomorrow."

Suga still wore that gentle smile of his as he stepped closer, offering to help Asahi with his wounded arm. The bigger boy blushed and stammered his thanks, clearly relieved now it was clear no one was going to get hurt.

Daichi sighed to himself, feeling like some of the heavy weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying ever since their town was destroyed had been lifted. They weren't just two kids on the run anymore; they weren't alone in this cold cruel world anymore. There's no saying if they'll live to see another day or even another era where diving for cover when a plane flew overhead wouldn't be the norm, but for now, they were safe, and Daichi would take what he could get.


	2. Chapter 2

**it's finally here! omg i thought surviving the 2014 summer anime season was bad enough, and then i wake up to find that naRUTO FREAKING ENDED? what is this.**

**feel free to message me any mistakes, suggestions, or just to cry about** **volleynerds. **

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><p>People needed order.<p>

It doesn't matter what they told you, about oppression or corrupt governments or imperfect systems or whatever hierarchy was in place. It doesn't matter what the history books told you, about revolutions and republics and thinking for yourself and autonomous movements.

People needed order.

It's what keeps them in line as they cross the streets waiting their turn, it's what keeps them from committing irrational thoughts as they dig in their bags for the correct change, it's what keeps them living peacefully next to their neighbours. Laws. Rules. Authority. Order. Nobody questioned. And it worked. Until, of course, it all came crashing down.

People needed order. It's all they've ever known, it's all you're ever taught in school.

_So what happens when you take that order away?_

**[-]**

It was near evening when they finally finished poring over the tattered map Takeda managed to salvage from some town and sharing the stories and rumours they had heard. Ukai excused himself outside to have a smoke (how he managed to find an actual pack of cigarettes and a working lighter was a mystery to Daichi) and Asahi was helping Takeda organize their inventory.

Stretching, Daichi walked into the kitchen. Suga was there with a couple of tin cans, struggling to open them with a small knife.

"Need some help?" Daichi made sure the shorter boy was aware of his presence before stepping closer.

Suga handed him the knife and the can of beef-n-carrot stew, a sheepish expression on his face. "If you can, thanks. Last time I did this I nearly sliced off my pinky." He shuddered.

"God knows we can't have that," chuckled Daichi, slicing open the can with ease. "You want me to do these as well?" He gestured to the other three cans. "Where did these come from, anyway?"

"Yes, please. In this house, actually. We hoarded them before people like you could take them." Suga gave him a playful smirk while setting up some utensils and the stove. He had the stovetop open and was lighting a match.

"Wow, you know what you're doing." Even Daichi would just leave things like that alone; if there was no electricity, you just had to suck it. Now, he mused, there were ways to get around that.

"Takeda-san's a genius in many ways," replied the other boy, successfully getting a small pot of water to start boiling. "After all, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

Daichi smiled at the light tone of conversation that flowed so easily- almost a little _too _easily- between them. It'd been a while since he could half-joke and-dare he say it-half-flirt with someone like this. Asahi's a great friend, but he wasn't exactly good at taking jokes... It'd always end with him either about to cry or with him in tears because he didn't get the joke.

They worked in comfortable silence for a couple minutes. Once the cans were dumped into the small pot, the nostalgic aroma of hot stew floating out, Daichi's mouth started watering. He watched Suga stir the pot, thinking about what to say.

"How did you meet Ukai and Takeda?" he settled on asking.

Suga glanced over at him, startled.

"I mean," continued Daichi, not wanting to make the other uncomfortable, "Asahi and I are childhood friends, same neighbourhood, same school, you know, we grew up like brothers, almost. But uh, you three don't look like you're related and Ukai said he's from the north? And Takeda's an intelligence service member or something, and you... well, you're our age, right? So, I'm curious."

The silver-haired boy steadily stirred the pot, staring down the contents as if it contained the solution to the end of the war. He was silent for so long, Daichi thought he'd said something to offend the boy. He was thinking of how to apologize and backtrack when Suga's soft voice spoke up again.

"You know around two years ago, when the people started organizing rallies and started to rebel against the military and the systems? For a while, it seemed like it would work, like it would all end, like the bombings could stop and people would stop dying and..."

Daichi watched the other boy quietly, vague memories he'd pushed to the back of his mind floating through. "But it didn't?"

Suga shook his head, still staring into the pot studiously. "They forgot that, despite the main goal was to stop the broken governments' war, most people still didn't see eye to eye. That's when most rebel groups formed."

Daichi nodded, brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of this. Personally, he'd rather have nothing to do with whatever 'rebels' that had popped up recently, even if they were probably the biggest hope in getting the 'government' to actually realize that people are dying and shit. He just wanted to find some quiet place where there were no bombs, no blood, no weapons, and no death.

He just wanted to live.

Suga lifted the pot off the makeshift stove. "There was a fire," he said, still looking away. "There were rumours of a supposed a takeover of the government building in my city, but the night before, the headquarters went up in flames. All the weapons and the preparations were destroyed, and around a hundred people didn't make it."

Daichi didn't know how to respond to that, so he went with, "I'm sorry..."

Suga shook his head. "The suits came around to arrest the rest of the survivors and were told to keep everyone else in line. But it wasn't safety they were implementing, it was fear. No more freedom, no more security. The suits weren't on the people's side, and everyone was too afraid to openly oppose again. There wasn't anything worth staying for at that point." The silver-haired boy shrugged, busying himself with dishing out the stew. "Ukai and Takeda-san found me trying to steal their food and let me join them."

Daichi let that sink in for a bit. He helped Suga dig through the drawers for utensils to eat with. "Stealing?" he said lightly, hoping to ease off the heavy atmosphere that had fallen in between them. "You? No way."

Suga laughed, the sound as light as the colour of his hair. Daichi swore he could almost hear the music notes floating from the boy's mouth. "Don't be thrown off by my pretty face," said Suga mischievously, "you'd be surprised what I'm capable of."

"Says the boy who can't even open a can of food by himself."

"Oh, you shut up." Suga slapped him lightly, but he was also smiling.

"What's this," Ukai said, walking into the kitchen. He sniffed the air. "Smells good. Is that... beef?"

"Only stale canned beef, I'm afraid," shrugged Suga. He handed the older man a plate. "Where is Takeda-san? And Asahi?"

"Here." The mentioned two entered, with the latter's mouth open slightly and watering.

All five of them found a spot on the floor away from the windows with their plates, chatting quietly about nothing and everything amongst themselves. Outside, the sky darkened silently, throwing shadows across their faces. Ever since the inevitable shut-down of the electricity companies (and just about every other company) back in the beginnings of the war, they'd long gotten used to having to adjust their eyes for after-dark. They quickly cleaned up after eating, closing the windows and blocking the entrances as best they could.

"I'll take first watch," Ukai said, settling down on the dingy couch in the living room with his arms crossed and a flat expression that could either mean he's not taking any arguments or he's wishing for real homemade beef stew.

"There are two bedrooms upstairs," Takeda said, adjusting his glasses. "Why don't you boys go on up, and I'll stay down here with Ukai-san."

The boys looked at each other. "Ah, okay, then," agreed Suga hastily before Daichi or Asahi could answer. "If you need anything, just call us." The light-haired boy then proceeded to hook an arm around the other two, grinning a little too brightly at the adults while dragging Daichi and Asahi towards the stairs.

"Shouldn't we let them have the beds?" questioned Asahi, pushing his long brown hair out of his face.

Suga just shrugged. "They've got a futon downstairs. I think it's better if we just, you know, let them have their space."

Daichi and Asahi exchanged a glance, before catching on. "Oh," was all they said, before looking away. It wasn't their business, and it's not like either of them had anything against it. The world had fallen apart and none of the rules from the past applied now.

Daichi glanced in one of the bedrooms. "Oh, hey, this room's, uh..." He pointed in, where they could just make out the collapsed bedframe and broken drawers littering the floor from the dim moonlight streaming in through the blind-less window. Asahi sneezed from the dust.

"Let's just use this one, then?" suggested Suga, leading the way. "It's safer if we stick together. And it's warmer." He gave them one of his reassuring smiles.

They dragged and piled some blankets they deemed clean enough, making a makeshift bed for all three of them. Asahi was voluntold to take the bed, as he tended to shift around in his sleep a lot. Soon, after some shuffling and murmuring about adequate warmth, the three boys settled down and closed their eyes.

"G'night," whispered Suga, and they fell away into the heavy arms of sleep.

**[-]**

"Daichi, Daichi!"

"No... Don't-This can't..."

"Daichi, _wake up_!"

"No!" Daichi flailed, arms spinning and eyes snapping open while his heart thudded like the sound of the unforgiving marching boots in his nightmare. His breathing was off, each breath coming hard and unsteady, as he struggled to remember his surroundings.

"Oh, thank gods," a soft voice sighed on his right. "I thought I was going to have to slap you awake."

Daichi squinted in the dark. "... Suga?"

"Yes. I think you had a nightmare."

The dark-haired boy put a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Yeah, I... Huh. Sorry. Did I wake you?"

"Mm, not really. Asahi is still sleeping though, so..."

Daichi glanced over to his left, where indeed his giant friend was snoring away with his back toward them. He sat up, shaking his head to get rid of the last lingering traces of his bad dream.

"Are you okay?" asked Suga, his voice muted and genuinely concerned.

"'M'fine," assured Daichi, turning to give him a small smile. "Happens, you know?"

The other boy nodded, pulling the blankets around his shoulders. "Do you... want to talk about it?"

Daichi considered. He didn't know Suga that well, heck, they'd only just met, but somehow he felt like he could trust this boy with anything. Something about the way those big amber eyes on him settled his pounding heart in such a quiet, unassuming way, or maybe it was the soothing, gentle voice that made him feel like confessing all his sins and committing more at the same time.

"There were three of us, before," Daichi admitted, slow and quiet. He felt Suga still beside him, listening. "When our town got bombed, there were a couple survivors, and me, Asahi, and Ikejiri were some of the, ah, lucky ones. Our families were gone and there was nothing left but death and despair. So, we left. Travelled around and scavenged where we could, though the camps weren't exactly what we'd been promised." He grimaced, unpleasant memories floating to the surface. "And then, we arrived in one farming town, hoping there might be food or something, but we didn't realize the soldiers were making that their camp." He swallowed, remembering the way they had been ambushed when they were all half-starved and overheated.

"Did they..." Suga moved closer, eyes wide and almost knowing.

Daichi shook his head. "They wanted us to join them, being 'healthy, living boys' and all." He snorted, looking down at his lap. "Joke's on them though, 'cause Asahi couldn't hold a gun without squirming and I wasn't going to fight for someone I couldn't even see. Ikejiri though, he was easier to sway. It was his choice."

"So he joined the army?"

Daichi frowned, his fingers tightening on the blankets. "They were preparing to leave the town when some of the villagers showed up asking for food. The soldiers, though, they weren't... Well, I don't know, maybe it was the pressure of the war, or the unclearness of the whole thing, or- _something_, I don't know. Asahi and I were just bystanders, but-" He shut his eyes tight. "There was so much blood and screaming, and it was just guns and knives and those marching boots. We nearly got caught in the crossfire, until..."

His hand was caught by Suga's warm ones. "Until..."

"Ikejiri." Daichi sighed. "He helped us run, but he was only one person. Just a boy. I looked back, and-they struck him down as if he wasn't wearing the same uniform they were. I still see... I just, I don't understand it at all."

Suga squeezed his hand, his amber eyes sad. "That's terrible."

"This fucking war is terrible."

The other boy hummed in agreement, and squeezed his hand again. He didn't say anything else, just sat there with Daichi quietly, until the shadow of Daichi's story had faded just a little, allowing them to breathe just a little bit easier. Neither let go of their joined hands, both needing to feel the real live warmth of another person in this cold, treacherous world that had become their living nightmare.


	3. Chapter 3

**i suck at logic and apparently geography so if anything doesn't make sense, pls tell or just ignore**

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><p>"Got everything?" Ukai said, his arms crossed and his eyes scrutinizing each of them carefully.<p>

"Yes," answered Takeda, hefting a backpack on his shoulder.

"Checked the rooms?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ready to go?"

"Yes, sir."

"Alright, then." Ukai hitched his own bag onto his back. "Which way, Takeda?"

The bespectacled man lifted his compass and pointed. "There should be a town that way after we cross a river, and hopefully find shelter. We could probably make it there by dusk, if the map isn't wrong."

"Right. Shall we?"

"Let's go."

**[-]**

In times like these, with homes being bombed left and right and people disappearing without a trace, "criminal acts" such as breaking in and taking other people's property weren't considered crimes anymore. It's become the norm in this new, cruel world, where if you weren't aggressive enough to take what you can, you were the first to be weeded out.

And being weeded out meant you were as good as dead.

Since the shutting down of businesses and government policies in most everywhere but the inner cities, people everywhere have had the notion of never staying in one place too long. You were lucky if you could find others willing to share supplies or food with you, but for the most part you kept to yourself. There weren't many people you could trust these days, not even your friends, and certainly not strangers off the street, all desperate to survive. But there was one unspoken rule shared amongst the people, and that was that if you got there second, you backed off. You didn't mess with other people, they didn't mess with you.

Of course, there were plenty that thought nothing of this last form of respect. And those were the so-called 'bandits'.

Bandits were lawless, justice-less, and merciless. They used force and violence to achieve and gain, taking what they wanted and leaving behind what they deemed useless. If you so much as looked them the wrong way, you could find yourself on the receiving end of their hoarded weapons. They didn't seem to care much for others' lives, utilizing any means necessary to steal supplies, food, anything of value in these difficult days. People knew to avoid them at all costs, but sometimes you were just unlucky. However, it wasn't only the reckless violence and terrible deeds that made the bandits so incredibly dangerous. If it suited their desires, they would very well sell you out to the officials.

And everyone knew that those that were taken, were never seen again.

**[-]**

They'd been travelling for half a day, taking breaks here and there, and now the sun was dropping from its highest point steadily. Small conversations drifted between the travellers occasionally, but soon died as they focused on covering the distance before sundown. The trees offered little cover, and the heat of the day drove them to shed their jackets.

"How much farther, Takeda?"

The short man pushed up his glasses, his expression weary but determined. "We should reach the river in less than an hour."

Asahi huffed slightly, hefting his bag but didn't say anything. Daichi had offered to carry some of his load, but his friend had refused. He hadn't said it out loud, but Daichi could hear the _It's the only thing I can do_ hidden in there. He sighed, knowing that his friend had some problems that he needed to get through by himself. Heck, Daichi had plenty of issues of his own.

They continued on in silence, each off in their own minds, until Suga pointed straight ahead. "Is that it?"

"I-I think-" Takeda adjusted his glasses, squinting. "I-Yes! We've found the river!" The man's face brightened in relief, and even Ukai spared a quick smile. "The town should be just on the other side!"

They sped up towards the water, ready for a much-needed break and some refreshing coolness. Sinking down on the river bank, Daichi stuck his hands into the water gratefully, splashing his face and heated skin. He breathed out a sigh of contentment as the cool sensation of the water hit his hot skin. He hoped he didn't get sunburned or something, because sunscreen was a luxury he had forgotten for a while now.

"That hot, huh?"

Daichi looked up from drowning himself in the coolness, blinking water out of his eyes. Suga sat next to him, dipping a towel into the water. The boy grinned at him, the sunlight glinting off his fair hair and making his amber eyes glow. Daichi swore he'd never seen anything more breathtaking and radiant. Daichi also swore that the heat was messing with his brain.

"It's supposed to be around summer, right?"

"True. And we don't have air conditioning anymore," sighed Suga.

"Don't remind me," Daichi groaned, throwing his head back in dramatic despair. Suga laughed, and Daichi joined in a beat behind, having forgotten this easygoing atmosphere or even a reaction as simple as _laughing_. There wasn't much to laugh about when you were struggling to live to see the next sunrise. But right then, sitting on the riverside in the warm sun with people that didn't want to kill him on sight lounging around casually and this beautiful refreshing boy beside him, Daichi could say that for once, he felt at peace.

They cooled down in quiet chatter, eventually drifting back under the shade of the trees a few feet away from the bank. It was like the world and the terror of living in this world had stopped for a while, and everything was okay.

Of course, that didn't last long.

Daichi was just refilling his water bottle when there was a cry of shock and a grunt of pain from behind him, and he whipped around, hands already reaching to where his dagger was strapped to his belt.

There were seven of them, four of them surrounding Takeda, who was leaning over a fallen Ukai. The other three were approaching where Suga and Asahi were standing next to Daichi. They wore handkerchiefs that hid half their faces, but their cold cruel eyes were more than enough to get the message across: _bandits. _

"Daichi," hissed Suga, stepping closer. He also had a knife in one hand, though Daichi could see the hand trembling from the corner of his eye. Asahi was on his other side, hands clenched too tightly on his own weapon, a baseball bat that had stuck with him since a few towns back. The bandits were moving closer, and it didn't look like Ukai was getting up anytime soon.

"We're overpowered," he cursed, taking a step back. His foot hit the water, and he flinched at the sudden wetness.

"What do we do?" Suga glanced nervously between the three bandits that were closing in on them to where their friends were surrounded and captured by the other four. Takeda wasn't putting much of a fight, his glasses askew as he looked worriedly at the blond man on the ground.

Daichi didn't have an answer, watching the bandits step ever closer as he tried to think of a way to get out of this alive.

"We don't have anything worth taking," said Daichi to the bandits. "Let my friends go."

The bandit closest to him laughed, a cold, harsh sound. "Don't think that will work. Besides, don't you know? The suits are giving a hefty price for able bodies. And you boys look plenty healthy to me."

Suga sucked in a breath as he was forced into the water as well. He traded a panicked glance with Daichi. "We can't. They can't." His voice was jumpy but Daichi saw something alarming, something deeply afraid in those amber eyes. He understood the fear, as their lives were currently at stake there, but the heaviness seeping into his gut at the tightness in the other boy's voice was telling him that Suga's fear was more than just being forced into labour for the suits.

"Come on, weapons down, and we won't have to hurt you... too much."

Daichi snarled at them when they came too close. He waved his dagger as he stepped further into the river. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep, but the water made it difficult to move. He's about to just charge towards the others when he heard a familiar rough voice yelling at them.

"Go! Go, head for the other side! We'll be okay!"

"Ukai-san," said Suga, eyes widening as the bandits raised their fists at the blond man.

"Head for the town!" Takeda was waving at them, too, his small face determined even as one of the bandits grabbed him and threw him down on the ground. "Go, don't look back!"

"No-" Suga started, but Daichi wrapped a hand around his arm and pulled him across the river. The slighter boy struggled half-heartedly, twisting around to look at Takeda and Ukai, who were putting up a fight distracting the other bandits. "We can't just-they'll be-"

"Fine," Daichi cut him off, pushing through the river quickly and swiftly. Asahi was splashing after them, swinging his bat when one of the bandits had jumped after them. "They'll be fine, we've just got to get to safety, we can get help." He didn't really know what he was saying and he wasn't sure he would believe himself at all, but his mind was still on red-alert mode, his feet moving on autopilot.

Suga let out one last choked sob before turning fully and propelling his own feet forward. They were all waist deep in water now, with the bandits splashing after them, but feet away. Asahi had knocked one of them into the water, his face grim and set. Together, the three boys trudged through the water as fast as they could until they reached the other side.

They ran for the cover of the trees, not looking back even as ugly curses could be heard behind them. They didn't speak for a long time, concentrating on navigating through the trees. It was tiring with the heat and all the bags they had on their backs, but adrenaline refused to fade and they kept running until the trees thinned out again.

"Any of you hurt?" Daichi panted, bracing his arm against a tree. They stopped just under the shade of the last line of trees. He could barely feel his legs, his heart still pounding and sweat dripping off his face. He dropped his bag on the ground, turning to look at his companions.

Asahi was collapsed on the ground, his bat thrown a few feet away as if he wanted nothing to do with it. He had his eyes closed and was mumbling under his breath, whole body shuddering as he gulped in breaths of air. Suga was leaning against a tree, face tilted down and shoulders hunched over.

"We left them behind," the silver-haired boy mumbled. "We left them. Behind."

"We had no choice," replied Daichi automatically, but even he couldn't stop the slight shake in his voice. He'd only known the two men for a short period of time, but even he had grown used to the reassurance of having someone who was older, more responsible, able to make decisions, able to think for him, of having _adults_ that were actually trying to keep them alive. He could only imagine what Suga was feeling, having been with Takeda and Ukai much longer.

Suga shook his head. "They'll be killed."

"Maybe not," said Daichi, wiping his forehead. "Maybe they'll just be taken to a work camp. They don't have any ties with any rebels, and they're smart, maybe they'll esca-"

The other boy looked up sharply, his eyes flashing. "Takeda," was all he said, his voice barely above a whisper, but still it struck Daichi hard.

"_That's Takeda, who used to work for the techies before those army men took over. He's on the list of wanted, though far down the list, but I expect you to keep quiet about it."_

"Fuck," Daichi swore, remembering when Ukai had first introduced them. Suga exhaled a ragged breath, eyes wide and blinking. "But they don't-they might not know who he is."

The other boy bit his lip, closing his eyes for a moment. "Maybe," he whispered. "We can't... We can't do anything now."

"They'll be alright," said Daichi, trying to sound confident enough that he believed it himself. "Ukai doesn't seem the type of guy to go down without a fight. They'll be fine."

Suga looked at him, and then gave him a wavering smile. "They'll be fine," he repeated, as if tasting the words.

Daichi nodded firmly, holding the shorter boy's gaze. He knew they couldn't afford to lose heart now, especially when they'd lost most of their food and blankets with their other companions.

"What do we do now?" Asahi finally spoke up, looking up at them both. He seemed like he'd caught his breath back, but he still had that worried frown on his face.

Daichi glanced at his friend, then at Suga, but they both only stared back at him expectantly. He stared back, and then looked forward where he could just barely make out some buildings in the distance. Sighing, he realized that the decisions were back on his shoulders.

"Let's head into town," he said. "Look for supplies, and a place to stay. It seemed like a big enough town; there might be people there."

The boys stood up, grabbing their bags and hiding their weapons again. Nodding at each other silently, they began forwards as the sky darkened.

* * *

><p><strong>lol i'm so mean i took the first chance i get to get rid of the grownups... i didn't mean for it to happen this fast but oop<strong>

**don't worry, they'll meet cool thug kids and a badass chick next chapter... .**


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